If Gordon Brown announced this during his speech yesterday, most of you lot would be on deriding it as another example of Labour nonsense, incompetence, whatever. As it is, we all know such projects run way over time and budget. And they've just opened T5. That's a lot of money just to write off.

Mark Loughran, kircubbin, n Ireland

Manston in Kent could be brought on line faster and cheaper
with a high speed rail link, has a big runway and could serve northwest France as well, through the tunnel. No explosive ship lying around or bird strike problems and would provide plenty of jobs.

Peter, Windsor, UK

Bring it on. It's an old idea but a good one.

So what if it takes 15 years to build, so will the next runway an any of London's current airports.

Tim, Coulsdon, England

One week bikes, the next airports. From low carbon, to more carbon. Think of surge tides, planing issues, NIMBY's. Just because China has aero-island doesnt mean the UK should, or could. Why not connect northern airports to London using MAGLEV. Same effect, less complexity, wider benefits.

Colin Dyas, Liverpool, UK

actually a v. good idea, hopefully this will get cross party support

john, london,

Erm, was Terminal 5 just something we built out of boredom? If this ridiculous idea gets past the planning stage then I hope there are no further suggestions that London pay for this as it'll be based in Kent not London! We're already paying for the Olympics thanks!

Missy, Stratford, UK

Heathrow is shocking - in such a state that any ideas to improve or build a replacement should be looked at.

LHR is a disgrace to the United Kingdom and the problem needs fixing.

Jon, Hong Kong,

Isn't this just what Ted Heath's government was proposing for Maplin in the early 70's? The nimbies, beancounters and airlines killed it then. I wonder what will happen this time?

Bill Hendry, London, UK

Great idea but how do you get to it? The idea that millions of people have to get themselves to St Pancras, or crawl round the M25 to some park and ride centre in Essex, is idiotic. There would have to be a major park and ride on the west side of London as well - but where would the train go?

charles pugh, London ,

Fine, if Boris can overcome the problems identified whenever this has been considered in the past. But I doubt if it would be wise to close Gatwick as well. It's a very useful facility for travellers from the southern counties, and woulld be needed as an emergency alternative to the new airport.

Barry, Wallington, UK

This idea dates back to the 1960s but its worth. If there is only 1 major airort though its a much better target for terrorists. Having 3 (or 4 if you include Luton) airports around London is a actually a very good thing.

Stefan Stanislawski, Brighton, UK

Marvelous - Terminal 5 just completed following the most expensive and exhaustive Public Inquiry ever, and at a cost of £4.3 billion. The fact remains, Heathrow is very conveniently located for the most productive part of England. Moreover, will air travel survive ever increasing energy costs?

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

Sounds like a good idea. It is refreshing to see some 'out of the box' thinkng for a change rather than maintenance of the status quo. We need more of this approach in this country .

malcolm, ely,

Not as daft as it first sounds. Lateral thinking from an MP, will never catch on. Think of Hong Kong's new airport on Lantau Island, a treat to use. Did Boris have a stopover on his trip to the Olympics? Problem would be the usual wacky environmental complainants and planning permission.

Thomas, Alicante, Spain

Wonderful knew Boris was the right man for the job I only hope he gets the backing for his audicious plan and take Stanstead with it! It is one thing to say air travel is vital to the economy but is it worth it to take the quality of life away from those who live near these airports. Good for Boris

Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England

I am totally supportive of the mayor's idea to construct a new airport, indeed, as he says 'Heathrow is a mistake of 60s'. The airport does not operate well and is not customer-oriented. Passengers are the ones to suffer from the service system being under-developed.

Kylych Kubatbekov, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

very sensible idea if he can raise the dosh. HRH will appreciate the peace and quiet as will all nearby residents

peter c, Devizes, Wessex

Nice idea - Heathrow is appalling and is in the worst possible place. One small matter - who'll pay for it?

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

At last a politician with vision. Don't listen to the "it can't be done" naysayers, Boris. They built air bases in weeks during the war. OK, a new Heathrow would be much more challenging but techniques and infrastructure have advanced since the 1970s Maplin report mentioned by Ian Kemmish.

Howard, Cambridge,

Hopefully it will only be London taxpayers who fund the cost of this new airport, or is Boris going to indulge on some Gordo-style massive scale borrowing? Or maybe the ECB could fund an artificial-island airport in the North Sea to be shared with the Dutch as Schipol is overloaded as well.

Paul, Coventry,

I doubt that such an amitious scheme will be possible for the foreseeable future, given the current economic climate combined with the extreme and enduring fiscal recklessness of the present national government.

James E. Petts, Burnham, England

I doubt that such an ambitious scheme will be possible for the foreseeable future, given the current economic climate combined with the extreme and enduring fiscal recklessness of the present national government.

James E. Petts, Burnham, England

BAA's objections are irrelevant - just withdraw the licence for aircraft to land at LHR LOL.
The project sounds fine but who is going to invest billions of pounds in this project - not us, the taxpayer, we are already looking and 100 billion of debts.

P Barrett , Plymouth/Valletta, England/Malta

London has been crying out for a facility like this for years. Not only does Heathrow create high levels of air and noise pollution in the most densely populated part of the UK, it is hemmed in on all sides and can't grow to satisfy future demand.

It's expensive but London deserves this airport.

Micah, Guildford,

One very simple question for Boris,
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE "RICHARD MONTGOMERY" ?
Which as any well-informed politician would know is a WWll
Supplies boat, half-sunk about 2 miles north of the Sheppey coastline, which is FULL of tons of highly toxic explosives.

Eileen Adams, Sheerness, Kent, UK

Bravo Boris, a piece of brave clear thinking - looking at the future not just short term political expediency. Go for the big dream and lets sort out the problems of Heathrow as quickly as possible!

Alan Lockwood, Lincoln, UK

I've just read Hansard on the Maplin Airport (Dissolution) Bill. In the 1970's it took £2.3m to discover that Maplin Airport would take 15+ years to build, let alone become viable, and be, basically, unaffordable.

Documents release under a FOI request last month put it at 20+ years....

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

Please build the new airport NOW! and completed as soon as possible!

The new airport should be built with:

1) MAGLEV (linking smaller UK cities, UK downtown and nearby European big cities together)
2) New cargo terminals for British Airways
3) More runways
etc.

Mark, Los Angeles, USA

What's going to be really telling is whether the airport protest groups like Hacan Clearskys support this proposal, or whether their "Clearskies" supporters really wish to clear the skies of all aircraft - permanently !

Peter Hooper, Windsor, UK